Double-edged words

This article in The Economist looks at how the connotation of words influence our understanding of gender:

WOMEN and men face double-standards. That this should show up in the language is no surprise:

• Men who put themselves forward at work are “assertive”, women who do the same are more often “pushy” or “bossy”; 
  
• men are “persistent” whereas women are “nagging”; 
  
• men are “frustrated”, women “upset”. 
  
• A man has a lot to say; a woman is “chatty”. 
  
• A man discusses the doings of his colleagues and rivals; a woman “gossips”.
  

The point is that even when we describe the same abilities or personality traits, we use negative words for women and positive ones for men. 

Men are studs, women are sluts, simply because sexual aggressiveness is seen as admirable in men a, while people would like to police the sexuality of women.